Gilling gunning for top spot at England Under-23s

By Sam Green, Sportsbeat

TREMAYNE Gilling's outdoor season may have failed to ignite so far this summer but he is confident he will be ready to blast off at this weekend's England Under-23 Championships in Bedford.

RARING TO GO: Gilling is desperate to cast off the shakles at the Under-23 Championships in Bedford

With the event doubling up as a trial for next summer's European Under-23 Championships in Ostrava, Gilling is desperate to rediscover the form that saw him claim gold in last year's England Senior Closed Championships.

The 100m specialist ran a season's best 10.55 seconds in Geneva last month, well outside his 10.2 personal best and, more importantly, outside the European qualification time of 10.4.

But despite his unspectacular start to this season, Gillling is adamant that all previous results will go out the window when he takes to the line in Bedford this weekend.

"My season so far has been alright. I haven't started as fast as I would have liked but if I'm honest I'm not that bothered about it," said the 20-year-old.

"My whole season is geared towards being in the best possible shape for this weekend and I know what I need to do when the day comes.

"Every race that I have done so far has been a form of practice, I have been warming up for my main aim of the season that has always been Bedford."

Gilling will go head-to-head in the 100m with fellow Spar Sprint Stars Kieran Showler-Davis, Eugene Ayanful and Deji Tobais.

Aside from Tobais, the three also line up in the 200m, where Danny Talbot will seek to put the disappointment of missing a dream clash with Usain Bolt behind him.

A hamstring problem spoiled Talbot's date with Bolt at the Diamond League meeting in Oslo earlier this month but 200m glory in Bedford would book his seat on the plane to Czech Republic, and another meeting with triple-European champion Christophe Lemaitre after the pair locked horns in Stockholm at the European Team Championships.

"I'm feeling good about the Under-23 Championships as I've got the time and am ranked number one," said Talbot.

"You can never be 100% that you will do it because there is some strong competition - so it's going to be tough as there are plenty who are capable of winning a medal.

"If I make it to Ostrava and get into the final my main rival would be Christophe Lemaitre, but I think if I run my best I can beat him."

After finishing last year as British number three in the under-23s, 400m sprinter Louis Persent is aiming to step up to catch in-form duo Luke Lennon-Ford and Nigel Levine.

"I will need to improve my personal best (46.56) and I'm confident I can do it to make it to Ostrava, where I would love to go on and win a medal," said Persent.

While, in the Under-20 championships, David Bolarinwa has already sailed under the European Junior qualifying standard but is still itching to lay down a marker this weekend.

"The pressure is off so I am in a good position because I can just run and concentrate on winning the race and not worrying about times at all which is great," said Bolarinwa.

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